Mercer’s student-run event coordination team QuadWorks is gearing up for another semester of events both big and small.
QuadWorks has existed for a little over 22 years and is responsible for organizing and carrying out a variety of events during the academic year. Some of their most notable recurring events include homecoming week, silent disco and Bearstock, Mercer’s annual concert with new guest artists each year.
QuadWorks’s president Jnedai Sealey works on leading from behind the scenes to support her team. She attends each committee meeting, makes sure their office in the Conell Student Center is stocked and overall ensures that each event runs smoothly. Sealey has been a part of QuadWorks since her second year at Mercer.
“I remember my freshman year going to the haunted house and I was like ‘this is amazing,’” Sealey said. “I knew I needed to be a part of this. I had ideas that I wanted to see come true I thought people would love.”
The reason QuadWorks can consistently organize and execute so many events is because of how they distribute their work. There are five different committees within the organization, with each committee taking turns putting on events in a continuous cycle. One of the key QuadWorks members that help feed in new students is Director of Membership Darius Jones ‘23.
Jones’s primary focus is QuadSquad, a program that recruits first-year students interested in becoming part of QuadWorks and helps integrate them into getting different event planning committees. This feeder program is meant for students who want a better idea of how the QuadWorks operates with less commitment.
“It really takes every mind to come together (during planning),” Jones said. “You really see the team aspect of QuadWorks in the process. You may forget a small detail that someone else notices. It’s nice to have somebody else chime in and bring up any problems.”
The organization is directly funded by Mercer, so they have access to a large amount of resources for their events.
“It’s split up by committee,” Sealey said. “The Bearstock committee will have the biggest budget because theirs pays for the artists, making T-shirts and all of the smaller events leading up to the day. The other committees, like special events, games and lead, also have decently sized budgets. Each group has the opportunity to see their ideas come to fruition.”
Jones also said that they keep careful track of receipts to make sure they know how much they are spending on each event. Sealey added that they use a detailed spreadsheet to see what was bought each day and how much everything costs.
Because QuadWorks receives money from the university, they are able to collaborate with other organizations and clubs to provide funding for them through “co-sponsorships.”
“If you have an org, QuadWorks can fund up to two-thirds of it, so that’s paying for things like a DJ, decorations, food, etcetera. Co-sponsorships, on top of the money you get from SGA for being a non-program board can help you a lot.”
One of the organization’s biggest successes is their marketing strategy.
“When you come to the CSC (Connell Student Center), you can always see the windows decorated with whatever event QuadWorks is preparing for,” Jones said. “We have different posters that we put up on Instagram and throughout campus. We want to make our stuff eye-catching so that you’re not just looking at any old flyer, you’re looking at something to inspire you to check out that event.”
Sealey and Jones said that there are plenty of events to look forward to throughout this semester with plenty of surprises spread out in between. Generally, QuadWorks holds one event per week, with their five committees rotating which type of event is held each time. Thanks to their new weekend initiatives, they also hold events on Fridays and Saturdays.
“QuadWorks is just filled with dedicated people who want to bring people together on campus,” Sealey said. “We want people to have fun, meet new people, and share some next experiences. We put in a lot of effort, love, and hard work into every event we put out, so we hope the campus sees it.”
To join QuadSquad or QuadWorks, General Board applications open Feb. 15 and close Feb. 26. Whoever joins the team will then be part of the Bearstock committee with the remaining time in the semester spent transferring information to the new executive board members.
For more information on upcoming QuadWorks events as well as the eventual artist reveal for Bearstock, follow the organization @quadworks on Instagram and Facebook.
